In a small courtyard behind Mount Emei, on the bed in Zhou Ruoxi's sleeping quarters, Wan Yunting lay with bandages on his chest. Zhou Ruoxi rested her head on his right chest, her flushed cheeks still bearing the remnants of passion. Her autumn eyes gazed lovingly at the man, her jade hand caressing his chest as she asked softly, "Does it still hurt?"
Wan Yunting's right arm was around her fragrant shoulders, stroking her fair, delicate skin like fine sheep fat. He smiled and said, "It doesn't hurt. As long as you forgive me, I wouldn't mind dying."
"Tsk, you're so glib."
Zhou Ruoxi lightly patted his chest with her jade hand, giving him a charmingly coquettish glance with her autumn eyes. She rested her cheek against his right chest and asked, "What are you going to do about this matter?"
Wan Yunting blurted out, "What else can I do? If you marry that disciple from Dragon Tiger Mountain, I'll crash the wedding!"
This declaration made Zhou Ruoxi unable to lie still. She sat up and stared at Wan Yunting, asking, "Truly?"
Wan Yunting's large hand caressed her cheek, smiling tenderly and seriously, "For you, I can do anything!"
This made the woman happy. She nestled back into his embrace, a smile on her lips. But then, a thought made her angry, and she pinched his waist fiercely with her jade hand, "It's all your fault for not coming sooner! Now, in two days, that idiot and I are getting married!"
Wan Yunting let out a yelp of pain as she pinched his waist flesh with force. He rolled over, pinning Zhou Ruoxi beneath him, and said with a raised eyebrow, "What I can't understand is your Emei Sect's Grand Elder, Master Jun Xuan, and the Sima family. What is their relationship? They colluded to set a trap, using you to lure me to Emei Sect. What is their ulterior motive?"
Zhou Ruoxi's cheeks flushed. Her hands wrapped around the man's firm, powerful waist, her willow brows furrowed. She asked in confusion, "I haven't heard of any relationship between Master Jun Xuan and the Sima family either."
Wan Yunting nodded, his eyes half-closed. "This Sima Boyong is no simple character. Although he has left the country for Korea, he has left many connections behind in China, especially among the various martial arts sects. He has already infiltrated them to the bone!"
He recalled the Immeasurable Daoist Temple before. Over a hundred disciples, most of whom were Sima Boyong's people. Even the sect leader's eldest disciple, Wei Ping, was his man. It was evident that Sima Boyong spared no expense in winning people over!
"Could it be that Master Jun Xuan has also been bribed by Sima Boyong?" Wan Yunting mused, his brow furrowed.
This statement tightened Zhou Ruoxi's heart. She said, "If that's the case, she can't be allowed to hold the position of Emei Sect Leader!"
Wan Yunting nodded, continuing to hold Zhou Ruoxi. "Now, in your Emei Sect, how many people support you?"
"Hmm..."
Zhou Ruoxi let out a soft moan. She said, "Except for Master Yun Bai and Master Jin Yu, along with some senior and junior sisters supporting me, everyone else is aligned with the Grand Elder and Elder Guo!"
Wan Yunting raised an eyebrow. "No wonder you were under house arrest by Master Jun Xuan. Given this situation, you, the future sect leader, might never be able to truly take over as the Emei Sect Leader."
This was the plain truth. Zhou Ruoxi's pretty face flushed, and her jade hand pinched the man's back. She pouted coquettishly, "Can I be blamed for this? Over the years, the Grand Elder and Elder Guo have been forming factions within the sect. Most of the stewards and disciples in the sect stand with them. My master has always sought the Dao through martial arts, and I and Ting Xia are her only disciples."
"Master Yun Bai and Master Jin Yu are also the same. Although they are both elders, they don't have many disciples close to them within the sect. Especially Master Jin Yu, she still lives alone in the Peach Blossom Forest behind the mountain!"
"Hmm, is Master Jin Yu the Fourth Elder of your Emei Sect? Why doesn't she take disciples?" Wan Yunting asked curiously.
Zhou Ruoxi shook her head. "Master Jin Yu is rather reclusive. She prefers quietness, so she never gets involved in sect affairs. She only participates in matters of great importance. Normally, she stays in the Peach Blossom Forest behind the mountain."
Since arriving at Emei Sect, Wan Yunting had not met their Fourth Elder, Master Jin Yu. Hearing Zhou Ruoxi's explanation now made him curious.
"Ruoxi, according to what you've said, Master Jun Xuan first forced you to marry the Dragon Tiger Mountain disciple, with the intention of drawing me into the game!"
Wan Yunting looked at Zhou Ruoxi and said earnestly, "Although your Grand Elder claims to be the acting sect leader, she will definitely find an opportunity in the future to seize your position as sect leader!"
Zhou Ruoxi's willow brows were tightly knitted. She nodded. How could she not know Grand Elder Master Jun Xuan's ambition!
Currently, her position as acting sect leader was just an excuse. Her true goal was the position of Emei Sect Leader!
"Therefore, you must now get Master Yun Bai and Master Jin Yu to stand on your side!" Wan Yunting stated.
Zhou Ruoxi nodded. "Uncle-Master Yun Bai has always supported me. I'm just worried that Uncle-Master Jin Yu won't concern herself with these matters!"
"Then go find her and persuade her!" Wan Yunting said.
"Mm, I'll go to the Peach Blossom Forest tomorrow to try and convince her," Zhou Ruoxi nodded, obediently following the man's words.
"Also, I must figure out now, what is the ultimate goal of Master Jun Xuan and Sima Boyong doing this behind the scenes?" Wan Yunting's eyes were half-closed. This was the crucial issue. Without understanding it, he could not deal with Master Jun Xuan.
"What do you plan to do?" Zhou Ruoxi raised an eyebrow, a little worried.
Wan Yunting scooped her up into a sitting position, a sly smile playing on his lips. "I have my ways!"
Seeing that he wouldn't say more, Zhou Ruoxi gave him a charmingly petulant glare. "Let's cultivate together. To heal your wounds."
"Alright, come..."
Wan Yunting was excited and embraced her, prompting a shy and tender response from Zhou Ruoxi, "Oh my, what's the hurry..."
Late in the night, Wan Yunting emerged from Zhou Ruoxi's room. The woman, clad in a bathrobe, saw him out. Jiang Ting Xia in the adjacent room had already retired. Zhou Ruoxi personally escorted him to the courtyard gate...
A young disciple crouching on a small path in the distance saw Wan Yunting emerge. He immediately got up and ran back...
As Wan Yunting was heading this way, he had already spotted the young disciple squatting and observing as soon as he left the courtyard gate. Wan Yunting's eyes narrowed, guessing that the disciple was one of Master Jun Xuan's people!
"Senior Sister Zhang, that Wan Yunting is out!"
The young disciple who ran back reported to Zhang Xincai.
Zhang Xincai, in her own room, threw on an outer coat and opened the door, saying to him, "Got it. Hurry and continue to watch him, see if he's returning to the guest quarters or going somewhere else."
"You got it."
The young disciple nodded, turned, and continued to keep an eye on Wan Yunting.
Zhang Xincai checked the time and decided to report this matter to her master. She quickly left her residence and headed towards her master's dwelling nearby...
However, she didn't notice that on her rooftop, a figure was crouching. It was Wan Yunting, his half-closed eyes sharp, watching Zhang Xincai leave. He then stood up and followed her along the eaves...
Soon, Zhang Xincai arrived at her master's residence. Seeing that the light was still on in the sleeping quarters, she knew her master hadn't rested yet. She walked over and gently knocked on the door, calling out, "Master, that Wan Yunting has left Zhou Ruoxi's place!"
A moment later, Master Jun Xuan opened the door and said, "Come in."
Zhang Xincai nodded, entered, closed the door, and turned. She sat on a stool and said to Master Jun Xuan, "Master, Wan Yunting stayed with Zhou Ruoxi for about four to five hours!"
Master Jun Xuan's old lips let out a cold laugh. "It seems Ruoxi and that Wan Yunting really have a clandestine affair!"
Zhang Xincai smiled. "I've heard before that Junior Sister Ruoxi and that Wan Yunting have an unusual relationship. It appears to be true now!"
"Very good," Master Jun Xuan nodded with satisfaction.
Zhang Xincai then asked curiously, "But Master, I don't quite understand, why are you monitoring Wan Yunting, and even letting him have a rendezvous with Zhou Ruoxi tonight? Aren't you supposed to have Zhou Ruoxi marry the son of Master Lin Tian, Lin Xiaobao?"
"If Master Lin Tian finds out about this, won't it..."
Before she could finish, Master Jun Xuan interrupted her, her old mouth curling into a cold smile. "The reason I'm doing this is to make Wan Yunting cause a scene at the wedding and snatch the bride!"
"Do you really think I would let my son Xiaobao marry Zhou Ruoxi?"
Zhang Xincai's expression showed surprise, and she looked at Master Jun Xuan with some confusion.
Zhang Xincai was Master Jun Xuan's last disciple, and their master-disciple relationship was extremely close. Therefore, Zhang Xincai was aware of Master Jun Xuan's illegitimate child.
Of course, among Master Jun Xuan's many inner disciples, only Zhang Xincai knew about this matter, and she was one of Master Jun Xuan's most valued disciples!
"Master, but why let that Wan Yunting make a scene at the wedding and snatch the bride?"
Zhang Xincai was still a bit confused and asked, "Did that Wan Yunting offend you, Master?"
Master Jun Xuan waved her hand and smiled. "By letting him crash the wedding and snatch the bride, I want to make him an enemy of all our major sects, leaving him no place in the martial world!"
"Heh heh, he really hasn't offended me, but he has offended someone he shouldn't have!"
Zhang Xincai was astonished and was about to ask...
"Who?"
Suddenly, Master Jun Xuan detected something. She abruptly stood up and looked up at the beam on the roof. A red tile had been removed, and a shadow flashed again...
Before Zhang Xincai could react to what was happening, Master Jun Xuan had already rushed out of the door. With a turn and a push of her feet, she leaped into the air, stepping on a wooden pillar with her right foot and grabbing the eaves with her left hand for leverage, propelling herself onto the five-meter-high roof.
However, when she turned to look east, a figure was rapidly flashing and escaping across the rooftops in the dim night. Master Jun Xuan's old eyes widened, and she immediately chased after him...
For a moment, two figures, one after another, leaped across the eaves. Then, the leading figure immediately jumped down, rushing directly into a patch of mountain forest behind the mountain, instantly disappearing into the pitch-black woods.
Master Jun Xuan also landed at the edge of the mountain forest. Looking into the dark woods, she furrowed her old brows, having lost sight of the person who had been eavesdropping on their conversation.
Because it was too dark and the person was extremely fast, without looking back at all, they plunged straight into the dark woods. Master Jun Xuan was very confused and worried, completely unaware of who that person was or if they had completely heard the conversation between her and her disciple Zhang Xincai!
If an outsider heard this, it would be troublesome!